A Stitch in Time
by ViolentNerd102
Summary: Years in the future, Phineas Flynn is married and has several children. His life and the lives of his friends are ones of pure bliss and happiness. However, when someone goes back in time, they drastically change the world into one of darkness. It will be up to the children of Phineas to traverse the treacherous terrain of time and restore their lives.
1. All in a Day's Work

Author's Note

Hello, I'm ViolentNerd102 and this is my first story posting on this account. I had an account several years ago under the name of ViolentNerd101 but I got caught up in work and stopped working on it. Unfortunately, I cancelled the email service I used to create such an account or just forgot which one I used so I created this one because fanfiction has always been a guilty pleasure of mine. For my first story I thought it fitting to go back and edit the first story I ever posted: Phineas and Ferb: A Stitch in Time. You will find that this version has many differences from its predecessor. However, I won't spoil it for you, and I'm assuming that you've read my summary if you've made it this far. I would like to ask that if you do like my work or have any creative comments, please review my product; it is the only way to improve my writing. I hope you enjoy the story and thank you for your time.

All in a Day's Work

The thick smell of smoke and dust filled the air as the young Marine's head continued to pound. Coughing up blood, he looks around, dazed and confused. He can hear the crying of two young kids lying next to him for him to wake up. His body seems weak as he continues to struggle to get off of the ground, his elbows buckling under his own weight. His head lazily swings over noticing the peculiar triangle shaped head he knows all too well as the cold, metallic taste of blood fills his mouth. Suddenly, a noise in his ear snaps him out of his daze temporarily.

"-here's the Cap-We've lo-ound" a voice, filled with fear, screams over the microphone, static tearing apart the message, "GET DO-ORPSMAN!-FALL BACK!" After the brief message, an eerie silence falls over the microphone as it all comes flooding back. The building collapsed while he was helping the kids…vital to repairing his life…they needed him. He continued to struggle, cursing under his breath. In a sense of irony, the man who sought death for so long had finally come close to finding it…and in that moment did not want to die.

_Goddamn it Flynn…not like this…not like this…_

Some Time Earlier…

"Hey! Angela, what did you do with my tool-kit?" spoke the almost obnoxious voice of a young boy, with a peculiar triangle shaped head and a top of black hair. He stood with a very slight slouch he inherited from his father, standing tall in his Fireside Boys uniform. He stood in the middle of a quaint backyard, under the shade of a particularly large tree.

"It's in the garage with the rest of your stuff, Adrian, I didn't touch it!" came the sweet voice of Angela, who stood slightly taller, with gorgeous red hair and a bow that had been given to her by her mother. Adrian always looked at his sisters, who were spitting young images of their mother, with some form of envy when it came to the color of their hair. He was sure that someday, he was going to dye his hair red.

"Awesome! So guys, whatcha think we should do today?" the young boy asked with eagerness and excitement, a smile spreading from cheek to cheek at the mere thought of another adventure. Shortly after his announcement, his younger sister, Julia, popped out from behind Angela.

"Could we build a salon? The young girl of seven asked, looking up at her brother with puppy-dog eyes.

"Well…not quite what I had in mind…but ok!" Adrian replied with vigor, "I'll call together the Troop and we'll be ready to go!" With that, Adrian left with largest of smiles to make the necessary calls. Every day of summer was a new adventure for him, and how could anyone want more?

"Ugh…" sighed an old, worn out looking scientist, slouched in his char staring at a chess game.

"You win again, curse you Perry the Platypus!" He said in an exasperated voice, almost mocking himself at the same time. He watched in silent contempt as his lifelong nemesis slowly made his way out the door. A scowl grew on the scientist's face, at the realization that unlike himself…that animal probably lived a life of no regrets. Perry was always successful; he always got what _he_ wanted. Despite cutting a deal with the O.W.C.A to get his daughter into college, giving up his evil schemes, and the awkward friendship that existed between the two, over the years a hole remained in the old evil genius' heart. His opinions turning sourer as his mind came to a realization that sickened him. He had just spent the last twenty years of losing to an_ animal_. Once he had had aspirations to rule the Tri-State area and now he only aspired to be permitted the dignity of dying alone in his home.

"I can't accept this!" the scientist, known as Heinz Doofensmirtz, announced to his empty room. His voice echoed off the wall, the lack of content in the room present the sound a clear path. Rage and disappointment once again filled his eyes. He had to find a way out of this quickly, and he didn't have the luxury of time on his side. All of a sudden the voice of an old evil friend filled his mind.

_Never get discourage Heinz, for time is a weird thing. The slightest influence can change an entire world. Time is indeed a very tricky and fragile thing…_

Suddenly, it all clicks in his mind, a way to reverse everything that had happened to him. For the first time in many years, Doofensmirtz knew what he was going to do that day.

"So Ferb, oh brother of mine, what endeavor shall we partake in today?" came the excited voice of Phineas Flynn, who sat in his office looking over at his dear step-brother, Ferb. In the moments of silence immediately after his question, an unbelievably huge smile fills the young man's face as he begins to reflect on the road so far. He had lived a phenomenal life thus far; he had a beautiful family and managed to secure himself employment in a field in which he did what he always did best, seized the day. As the silence linger from that of acknowledgement to lack of decision, Phineas glanced over at Ferb, who sat with a completely blank look on his face.

"I…I don't know." He finally responded in a tone that Phineas had never heard before.

"What do you mean you don't know? We've always been able to come up with the most amazing things to do!" Phineas asked, flabbergasted. Would it even be possible for them to run out of ideas? The ever-so-creative Phineas and Ferb? These questions raced through Phineas' mind as even he found himself drawing up a blank. So there sat the two brothers, in a deafening silence, neither one figuring out what to do that day.

Isabella Flynn sat, sprawled out across her couch in the living room. It had been a long week at the office and she had earned her day off, her eyelids becoming heavier as she drifted in and out of consciousness. Even unconscious she still lay with a blissful smile on her face. Though there were many angst ridden years in which she began to have doubts, she had finally built the life she had wanted with the boy she always wanted to build it with. There were days where she would look back and wonder how she could ever worry at all. Almost too suddenly, the ringing of her phone next her ear rustles her out of her day-dreams. She quickly picks up her, her smile spreading from ear-to-ear as she notices the face on the caller-ID.

"Hey Phineas, Whatcha doin?" she asked as she answered the phone, her cheerfulness almost seeming to infect Phineas through the phone.

"Hey, Isabella, just trying to figure out what to do today, Ferb and I are in a bit of a rut!" Phineas replied, his mood visibly better at the sound of his wife's voice. Isabella chuckles to herself, shaking her head at her own husband's words. How could a man such as him, with all of his experience, doubt himself now? Phineas Flynn doesn't get in a rut, doesn't stay in one anyway.

"Oh don't worry honey," Isabella started warmly, "You'll find something to do and all of sudden there won't be enough time. You know how funny time is!"

"Oh do I!" Phineas began with a chuckle before his tone becomes more serious, full of thought, "It can also be a fragile thing…something to be measured and quantified…I know what we're gonna do today!" Isabella's smile intensifies; she always loved the tone in his voice when he figured something out.

"Well, I'll let you boys get to it. Don't be late for dinner," Isabella began affectionately, "I love you, Phineas."

"I love you too, Isabella. You're the best!" Phineas replies lovingly, "But no promises on the dinner thing, this might get intense!"

"My god, Uranium is hard to come by!" an exhausted Doofensmirtz cries out in his room, "But hey at least I never have to tell anyone how I got it…or this Time Machine build kit…God technology just amazes me!" It had been an incredibly long day, and the sun was beginning to set, the patrons of the world finishing up their respective activity. Sliding over to the keypad, he inputs a date that will change all dates. An evil smile spreads across his face as the machine sparks to life, whirring loudly.

"YES! BACK TO THE PAST…TO SECURE MY FUTURE…or something!" he announces to the world as he enters the vortex in front of him. Little does he know, his actions will have complications greater than he could have ever imagined.

The day had brought forth its own pleasures and challenges, as Phineas stood and reveled at his new invention. It was a device that marked his mastery of the time, a panic room of sorts. In it were various technologies he had developed in the past, a teleported, food replicator, and even a full entertainment room. All of these ran secondary to the console in the center of the room, a time machine unlike any that had been conceived. It measured the flow of the timeline in not only this reality but to the two closest parallel realities as well. It used data collected from all three to form a baseline which if disturbed could pinpoint a special anomaly within the timeline. This room had also been built with the specialty of shielding individuals from the changing of the timeline, if it ever occurred. In short, it was the ultimate panic room in the event of a time crisis.

"Well, today was certainly a great day but time is short," Ferb began, chuckling at his own pun, "I'm meeting Vanessa for an early dinner, I'll see you tomorrow bro!" As Phineas watched his step-brother walk out, he couldn't help but be flooded with more ideas. His day was far from over. The devices he had built used the energy in the air to create a field unaffected by the alteration of space time, but such a concept, simple in nature, was extremely complex in construction. Glancing down at the clock he smirked, realizing he still has a few hours until dinner. His job, though stressful, was made easier by a quick glance made to his family picture. However, he sought a way to make such a field portable, able to allow one person from moving about in the altered time line.

Reaching into the drawer, he pulled out his schematics and three watches. Such devices could be made to house the portable field generators and he already had all the details laid out in general. All that remained was to work out the kinks.

"WARNING: SPACE TIME CONTINUUM DISTORTED…TIME TILL TIMELINE FRACTURE: 1:30:00" an alarm suddenly rings out as the panic room turns red, startling the young scientist who jumps and turns. His heart dropping in disbelief and terror, one thought crossing his mind, he had to finish the devices. An idea crosses his mind, the room is already protected. Rushing to the console, he inputs some data, pulling up information of the status of the field generator; his look of concern intensifying upon the realization that his field did not work. He and Ferb had been working entirely in theoretical theories, and had made some calculations. Cursing under his breath, he rushed to work to save his family.

"Alright guys, thanks for coming!" Adrian yelled at his buddies, all who whom were leaving with very tired but satisfied looks on their faces.

"How is your mom gonna react when she see your new Reckless Endangerment of Life patch?" yelled one of the boys, clad in the traditional scout uniform, playfully across the yard. Adrian glanced down at his uniform, smirking at the newly acquired patch that had been slapped on his chest. After some time he thinks of the most fitting response.

"What she doesn't know won't hurt her!" He replied, chuckling heartily thereafter. It had been a fulfilling day of childhood fun and adventure. Each day brought with it more fun and excitement than the last. Adrian promptly made his way to giant tree that stood towering in the center of the yard, relaxing as he thought to himself. Could life possibly be any better than this?

"So Adrian, Whatcha thinkin?" his youngest sister, Julia, popped up still clutching the bear she had held since the tender age of five.

"Just how lucky I am to have such a fun life!" he replied, the cheer accentuating his voice. It was true. Adrian, like his father, lived a childhood outside that of ordinary people. He pushed the limits of reality every day, thinking of bigger and better project. He enjoyed the entire process, the idea stage, planning and building, but most of all he enjoyed seeing the enjoyment in his friend's eyes. He truly did it more for them than himself.

"Well, that's all find and dandy but weren't you hanging out with Derek today? Angela asked nervously, almost hiding behind the tree. The question made Adrian very uncomfortable, his smile fading slightly. He had known of his sister's crush on his best friend for some time now, but had not yet come to terms with it.

"Well, Angela, the thing is-"he began when a sudden tingling sensation washed over him, his eyes becoming dark for but a moment. In the next, all he saw was a strange room filled with gadgets…and the face of his worried father. Phineas proceeded to grab his children's hands, slapping on some sort of watch to each one. Adrian glanced up to look at a huge console screen that read "Time Until Dissipation: 00:01:45", the meaning behind which eluded him.

"You know Mom is gonna FREAK when she sees we're gone!" Adrian began. To Phineas, however, it didn't matter; he had failed. He failed to solve the problem in the time with which he had been given and he couldn't let his children just vanish from existence. He discovered the fatal flaw behind his technology, that it generated very small fields, only protecting things in contact with the generator. That meant that while the objects in the room would be safe, one couldn't simply transport themselves inside and wait it out. He had been so close…but just hadn't had the time. With what little time he had left, he managed to fashion enough watches to save his family. His throat began to swell, it wasn't fair that they should be the ones to face this challenge alone.

"There's no time for that," Phineas began frantically, as the computer announced that a mere forty-five seconds remained, "Listen, this room is safe, it won't change like everything else!"

"What do you mean daddy?" Julia asked, a look of sheer fear painted across her face.

"I mean, someone has disrupted the timeline, which will change everything into an alternate reality…"Phineas began, making a futile effort to mask the panic in his voice, "Now, in this room you will have the technology to fix this but…I won't be able to help you. I know it isn't fair but you have to do this and whatever you do, DO NOT TAKE OFF THAT WATCH!" Phineas spoke softly but sternly. A wave of guilt washed over him as he felt ashamed to put his children in such a situation. His eyes swelled with tears at the thought that this could be the last time he sees his children. He felt a strange sensation, an almost tug as he began to fade from existence.

"I love you kids…" he managed to say before it was too late. His next thoughts were of Isabella and then there was nothing but darkness.

Every aspect of the situation hit Adrian down to his core as he glanced over at his siblings. Angela stood trying to calm down a very upset Julia. Adrian knew he had to focus to get the job down. Taking a deep breath, he moved over to the console, focusing first on his father's work. It did not take long to figure out his father's signature handy-work, work Adrian had long watched and admired. If ever there was an expert on how Phineas Flynn worked his magic, it was Adrian. Phineas had been so close, and Adrian was confident he could create more field-generating watches. He then proceed to the console, typing away, his eyes darting across the screen, absorbing any piece of information he could.

"So, what do we do now?" Julia finally broke the silence as the three children, visibly shaken by watching their father vanish from existence in front of them, sat in eerie silences.

"I…I don't know Julia," Adrian began before flashing a reassuring smile her direction, "But I'll think of something!"

"I sure wish Dad was here to help us…" Angel added, staring down at her feet, her red hair soaked with her silent tears. Suddenly it occurred to Adrian just how to solve the problem, they needed their father, or at least a version of him sometime before the disruption.

"Guys, I've got something!" Adrian began, losing himself in his own ideas, "Listen, according to this machine, there has been a massive disruption in space time, originating on June 21st, 2010. This disruption has affected both this timeline and the parallel timelines closest to ours, resulting in two alternate realities that shouldn't exist!"

"When did you become an expert in Metaphysical theories?" Angela asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Oh…it not me" Adrian replied confused, "Its…all on Dad's computer, but the important thing is we can travel back in time and get the help of the younger version of Dad."

"But wouldn't that further disrupt the timeline…" Angela asked cautiously.

"Well, no, not if we visit the parallel universe directly before the stitch occurs," Adrian replied, reading more information off the console, "Because one we fix the stitch, proper space time will be restored and it will be as if none of this ever happened!"

"O-kay…" Angela muttered confused, while Julia simply sat in silence.

"Just trust me, it'll work," Adrian spoke firmly, his trademark grin returning, "Guys, I know what we're gonna do today!"


	2. First a Trip Around the World

But First a Trip Around the World

The three siblings had finally reached a decision; they were going to go back in time in this alternate reality, to the day before the disruption, and seek the assistance of their father. Adrian, working to his very limit, managed to reverse engineer and fashion more watches, which would allow their visitors to survive in the alternate future. They had just finished packing, punching in the required date, as a purple vortex appeared in front of them. Unsure of themselves, their hearts pounding with a mixture of anticipation and fear, the three quickly locked hands and stepped through the portal.

"GET ON THE TRIKE!" screamed a voice in the distance as the three materialized. Adrian shuttered, time travel was such an odd sensation. He glanced at his sisters, his expression inspiring confidence in them as he walked out.

"What was that?" Julia asked, concerned about the voice they heard a few moments before. The three children peered out, witnessing several children on bikes darting down the road.

"Maybe we ought to follow them and lay low for a while…" Angela whisper, her insecurity returning, "at least until we figure things out."

"You know, that red-head looks an awful lot like you, Adrian." Julia commented absent-mindedly as she watched the group of children continue to pedal frantically down the road.

"Do you even know what time travel means?" Angela asked her sarcastically. In response, Adrian shot her a look, communicating that it was obvious that child her age wouldn't understand. He in turn was greeted with a spine-chilling, evil look from Angela.

"No, no I don't!" Julia responded, an ignorant smile on her face. Adrian couldn't help but chuckle to himself, at least her short attention span was good for _something_. Adrian motioned at his sisters for them to follow him, as the three began to move further into the unknown.

A young Phineas Flynn lay exhausted on the grass, absorbing its comfortable coolness. He was unsurprisingly tired and sore but still energetic, his grand adventure and after-party still fresh on his mind. Another day had been seized.

"So Ferb, what did ya think of our World Adventure!" he finally broke silence, looking over towards his step-brother, who was also relaxing under the tree. His brother, with no words, simply looked at Phineas. It was enough for Phineas to understand that Ferb was telling him that they could have done better.

"Yeah, I know. If I had to do it over again, I would not have made that bet. That put too much pressure on it and I didn't get to relax or enjoy each location," he began to ramble on about the trip before a wave of guilt washed over him. Isabella didn't seem to have as much fun as he would have liked, she seemed awful disappointed about something.

"I also feel bad about Isabella, I mean, I know she had fun but there was just something a bit wrong with her. She seemed…_sad_," Phineas went on, vocalizing his thoughts as he stared up into the stars. Ferb simply sat there staring, firmly believing that his brother Phineas was the most oblivious human being to ever live.

"Oh well, we can something nice for her tomorrow, I still need to recover from today. I can't believe I nearly lost my co-"Phineas began to say, shouldering his previous guilt, before he was cut off by a strange new kid barging into his backyard. This kid, though he had never met him, seemed awful familiar. It was almost a spitting image of himself…with black hair of course. The thought made Phineas ponder whether he should get black hair in the future, perhaps it would be more fashionable than his red hair. However, that distraction quickly went away as two other children, both girls that looked shockingly like Isabella but with red hair, joined the boy. It was clear that the two older siblings were twins, but that the smaller one was much younger.

"Excuse me, you're Phineas Flynn, right?" he began to say, it was clear to Phineas that the boy was quite nervous.

"Yes, yes I am. But I don't believe I've met you before, what's your name?" Phineas replied, trying to shake off how weird it felt to stare into the eyes of this new kid.

"Well…this may take some time to explain…but I'm Adrian Flynn…you son." Adrian replied bluntly, as a new air of tension and confusion filled the backyard.

"O-k? You're my son?" Phineas forced himself to say, almost in disbelief. It was not the disbelief that shocked him the most, it was the fact that part of him believed this kid. Phineas stood there, arguing within himself, trying to convince himself that it couldn't be true. Then he thought back to all of the times _he_ had traveled through time and if this was indeed his son than he would be able to do the same things.

"Well, they all have genetic characteristics similar to yours…" Ferb finally spoke, his eyes glued to the kids in front of them.

"So, what are you do-" Phineas began to say before he was tackled by Julia, who very clearly had just begun to understand.

"DADDY!" she squealed in joy as she clutched onto to Phineas, almost choking him, for dear life. It was very disconcerting for the young man who was already shocked at the current situation.

"What are you guys doing here?" Ferb asked, rolling his eyes as he looked at his preoccupied brother and his "daughter" After a while, Phineas returned Julia's hug warmly, seeming to appease the young child.

"Yeah, what do ya guys need?" Phineas asked, flashing his trademarked grin reassuringly.

"Well…the thing is, Dad, I mean you, invented a device that measure whether or not the timeline was correctly oriented and well, someone went back in time and messed everything up." Adrian replied, almost frantically. Phineas' mind began to process that information, with all that had happened it did not seem too far-fetched. Then another thought crossed the young boy's mind, which was that his "children" looked an awful lot like Isabella. Was she their mother? Did that mean she liked him? Did he like her? A look of confusion flooded his face as he zoned out. After a few long moments, Phineas was snapped back to reality by Ferb, who began calmly tapping his shoulder.

"Oh sorry, wait a sec, if the timeline's change shouldn't you guys have change with it?" Phineas asked, almost immediately Adrian point to his watch.

"You invented this to protect us from that but you didn't have time to finish your watch or Mom's, but it's our job to fix the timeline and we need your help!" Adrian explained, staring pleadingly into Phineas' eyes. This was simply too much information for Phineas to process at that moment.

"Ferb, I know what we're gonna do tomorrow!" Phineas finally announced, as Ferb wrote it down in his little black book. Glancing at over at Adrian, Phineas could see the objections about to leave the young man's mouth.

"We're all obviously tired…and if the timeline has been disrupted we can take our time to repair because once it's repaired everything snaps back to normal…it is almost like there is no _time_ limit." Phineas explained, grinning wider at his own pun as he led the larger group of children into his home. Adrian, visibly still angry at his father's willingness to sleep on the fate of the future, followed him inside.

The small group of kids had to be snuck in silently, in order to avoid any…unusual conversations with Linda or Lawrence Flynn-Fletcher. The evening in comparison to the day, was uneventful and quit. The silence of the night was in stark contrast with the minds of the young children. Adrian lay wide awake, amazed at his sister's abilities to simply fall asleep. Julia lay clinging to Phineas, something that took a while for Phineas to get used to, not that he had much choice in the matter. Adrian simply lay there, clamping his eyes shut in a futile effort to fall asleep. The weight of his father's mission crushing down on his shoulders; he couldn't afford to let him down. Failure was not an option. It would take a long while before young Adrian would drift to sleep, and he would be greeted only with nightmares.

Suddenly, Phineas was flooded with new surroundings, he was back in his back yard, the sun just beginning to set. He looked down, noticing he is currently wearing a space-suit. His initial confusion vanishes when Isabella, standing next to him clad in a white lab coat began to speak.

"Would you like to go to the Night of the Falling Stars Girl's Choice Dance with me tonight?" Isabella asked, her suggestion appealed to Phineas, as long as he could get out of the cramped space suits.

"Sounds like fun!" he replied from memory, before thoughts of his busy schedule clouded him.

"Really?" Isabella asked cheerfully. Phineas quickly glanced over at Ferb.

"Ferb, How's our nine o'clock" he asked, as Ferb replied with a simple thumbs up, "Ok, we'll be there!"

"Both of you? Isabella asked in a quizzical fashion. A second-thought compounds Phineas' thoughts. Why would Isabella seem confused? She was asking us to escort her to the ball!

"Yeah, why don't you come over and we can all walk over together!" Phineas finally responded, a giant grin on his face.

"Sure, no prob." Isabella replied sadly.

Phineas' eyes slowly opened, his vision blurred at first quickly focusing on the ceiling of his room. He now recalled that he had just dreamt of an evening that had occurred earlier this. Phineas groaned quietly, his mind groggy as he looked over to small human being next to him. Julia lay, curled in a ball, next to him with her thumb in her mouth. This was all just too much to take. It all became so obvious now. Isabella liked him.

How could he be so stupid? All of the signs were there. He thought to himself, mentally reviewing every possible romantic gesture. He had always felt that they were such close friends; she was one of the most important people in his life. He had always felt that her feelings for him would simply be platonic and that she deserved someone far better from him. Did he like her? He wasn't sure; he knew he was willing to do anything for that girl. Was that love? Was he falling in love with her? Perhaps, such feelings could grow into such a thing if given time. Maybe, one day they could be as happy as those couples on TV.

He groaned again, his thoughts now returning to his predicament. Now was not the time to think about his relationship with Isabella, he counseled himself, it was time to think of a solution. He would have to talk to his alternate future self, Ferb would be helpful, Isabella and the fireside girls would provide the extra work force and support, Buford would inevitably come with Baljeet and Baljeet's technical skills would be essential. Buford would add some security; even though he is a coward he can fight when he needs to. Phineas continued to plan and argue with himself for the next hour before he drifted back to sleep, his dreams filled with angst and confusion, with one common person: Isabella.


	3. Shrouded in Darkness

Shrouded in Darkness

The morning had been long and exhausting, trying to get the group on board. Adrian never realized just how frustrating explaining the same thing over and over again could be, and getting his mother to focus on the situation wasn't helping. However, despite the headache's they now had a plan. According to his father, shortly before their trip around the world Phineas and Ferb designed tiny camera's that remained in the eye. The purpose of these was to document all of the wonderful times they were having and apparently they should still be able to function. Each individual was given a unique pass code to avoid any privacy issues, luckily Phineas knew his code. They would find out what happened to Phineas, lock onto his genetic signature and transport him to the safe house, the next step would be to get Ferb, pinpoint when exactly the stitch accord and erase it from history.

"All right, everyone ready?" Adrian asked the group, who promptly responded as a purple vortex appeared behind them. Without a word they all proceed to step through and were suddenly, back in the safe house. Luckily, it was created to house a fairly large group of individuals in bunk beds.

"All right, girls, move, move, move! Set everything up!" Isabella yelled at her troop as everyone scrambled to get into position. The girls began to install separate work stations that Phineas and Ferb had built while Baljeet began to research history. What he found was truly appalling. Whatever had happened, the world was in state of intense war, all nations currently being ravaged by it; the casualty list too long and horrifying to view. From what Baljeet had ascertained, the lines had been drawn and it was full on fight to the finish. The news of this destroys everyone's spirits while Julia bursts into tears.

"Don't worry, we're gonna fix this" Adrian announced, flashing his patented smile, trying to comfort the group. Eventually, Baljeet called out that he had found Phineas as everyone gathered and waited for the screen to load. Nothing could have prepared them for what popped up on the screen.

_Name: Flynn, Phineas A. SSN: 682-459-0987 Branch: USMC_

_Status: Active Duty; Deployed Counter-Insurgency Rank: Captain_

_Clearance: Priority Level Alpha-One_

_Unit: Bravo Company, 5__th__ Marine Division, 2__nd__ MEU_

_Next of Kin: Candance Johnson Spouse: N/A_

_Current Location: Classified_

_Current Citations: Classified_

All of them sat there, a look of pure disbelief in their eyes. As they read further into Phineas' record, that parts that weren't blacked out, they learned that he had enlisted fresh out of High School before the start of the Third Great War. Since then, he had been involved in almost every combat operation, quickly earning him battlefield commendations. After six years in service, he attended Officer Candidate School, and became an officer. After that, most of his record was blacked out, suggesting involvement in the Marine Special Operations Command. Although his exploits could have earned him a place home selling war bonds, he continued to volunteer for service in a hazardous environment. Everyone watched on humbly as Phineas input the code for his "mental camera" which had never had a purpose before now.

"Pfft. Hard to imagine Dinner Bell being such a good Marine…" Buford pipped up only to be greeted by a plethora of angry looks.

"This will let us see through his eyes and hear through his ears." Ferb mumbled, getting ready to hit the initiation button.

"I still can't remember why we installed those things, it really didn't make a difference" Phineas spoke absent-mindedly, trying to keep himself from thinking about the harsh reality he was facing.

"Until now," Ferb muttered as he punched in the final key and the screen flickered to life.

"ETA Fifteen minutes" the helicopter pilot screams over the roar of the engine. Captain Flynn took a deep breath, his grizzled expression not reflecting the anticipation he felt. He could smell the smoke rising from the battle field, providing spice to the cool morning air as the first rays of light began to pierce through the darkness.

"All right Marines, you know the game plan, we're gonna move in, bag the target, and get the hell out! Oohrah?" He bellowed over the loud noise, receiving a mixed reaction of 'Rahs' and other cheers from the back of the helicopter. Their mission was to capture one of the last remaining members of the Doofensmirt family, bringing them one step closer to the end of this long war.

"Remember, we're not cleared to engage until they fire first. Be advised, there are civilians in the area," Captain Flynn continued, his stern expression unchanged as he unslings his rifle, flicking the safety off, "And watch each other's backs, EVERYONE comes home today!" Without word, his Marines began to double check their weapons and equipment, ensuring everyone was ready to move when the helicopter hit the deck. They had all been promised a trip home after this, a reprieve from the constant fighting. Three years straight of warfare takes its toll on everyone; either you break or you learn to enjoy it too much. Truth be told, Captain Flynn had come to enjoy it, he had no home, and no family outside of his Marines. This was where he belonged.

"Alpha Three, this Alpha Two, You there buddy?" a voice range over Captain Flynn's microphone as he felt a familiar pinch in the back of his head. It was a pinch he had not felt in ages.

"Yeah Mike, I'm reading you loud and clear," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck as he shrugged off the pain as nothing.

"Just a Comm's check, you know the SOP!" Mike called back, his voice remarkably cheerful for someone about to go to war.

"'Rah. Remember I'm gonna need you to secure the roads while I take my Squad to secure the target building!" Flynn added, his voice hardly changing in tone, almost emotionless.

"Don't worry, bro. I know the plan. So, what are you gonna do with your time off?" he replied, his voice indicating that his thoughts were already dwelling on the promise of leave. Captain Flynn sat back in his seat, he hated questions like that. His personal life was his own and it was hard to feel anything at all nowadays.

"Umm, I'm not sure. But you better focus up Marine! Gretchen would kill me if I didn't get her husband back to her!" Captain Flynn bellowed back as the helicopter began to slow to a hover. The sun continued its rise to the sky, painting the sky an eerie red.

"Yeah, guess you're right, watch your six Devil Dog. Alpha Two Out!" Mike replied after a hearty laugh.

"All right Marines, move out!" Captain Flynn roar as his Marines began to slide down the rope, hustling to cover their zones of fire. Johnson, Richie, Peterson, Dan, Miller, Greg, they all exemplified the term professionalism. Captain Flynn could not help but feel extreme pride in his men, whom he had carried through hell and back. Finally he felt his hands firmly grasping the rope as he slid down to the ground.

"Spread out, five meter spread. Squad ignore all Secondary Buildings, they're the rest of the divisions problem." Captain Flynn whispered as soon as his feet hit the deck, swinging his rifle up at the ready as he and men began to move. It was quiet; the Marines moving hastily through the town, closer to their objective. The silence was almost worse than being shot at. The Marines knew that at least when the enemy is shooting at you, you know where they are.

Turning the corner, they were greeted to a horrific sight, one that many of them had seen too many times before. It seems that the local insurgency had gathered up all the civilians that were deemed unnecessary and executed them. Some lay next to weapons, indicating that some had put up a futile resistance against their assailants. Bodies lay everywhere as blood covered the streets and the scent of dead flesh saturated the air. It quickly penetrated the nostrils of the Marines, many of them grimacing in disgust while others covered their mouths with cloth. Captain Flynn looked over to Zach, a rookie member of his Squad who hadn't seen much of the war, who was currently standing in a state of shock.

"Come on guys, we still have a job to do. Stay frosty." He spoke softly, patting Zach on his back reassuringly. Something seemed odd and out of place, the town was simply too quiet. In the distance, the rest of division could be heard entering the outskirts of the city. It would not be too much longer before they had support. Until then, they would just have to keep pushing through the ghost town.

The tension in the safe room reached an all-time high as the children look one in horror. Isabella stood there in shock, her eyes swelling as her stomach turned upside down at the images being presented on screen. The day had started out so well for her, being awoken to the sight of her and her true love's children. She knew he hadn't been able to put it all together but the relief she felt upon seeing a family portrait on the desk in the safe room was beyond description. It was simply an amazing feeling knowing she would be with the man she loved, and while that made her move nervous around him, it was better than nothing. However, she was now forced to watch and understand that everything _wouldn't_ be ok; that her Phineas would be right in the middle of such a horrific event.

"Hey, you ok?" a familiar voice startled her, as she looked over to see the worried face of Phineas. Seeing him made her feel just a little bit better, seeing how much he cared as he embraced her, both looking screen. Phineas could never bear to see her upset, even when they were young he always felt the need to make her smile. It is what made them good friends and it did not matter if they were destined to be together or not, he would always be there for her.

"Oh, Phineas, yeah I'll be ok" she replied, trying best to mask her inner angst. Phineas however, could see right through her façade, because this was devastating even to him.

"Are you sure? Cause I don't like it when you s-" he began before he was cut off by Isabella throwing herself on him, sobbing into his shoulder.

"It's just so terrible that all of these people have died, and will continue to die. It's just not fair!" she continued to sob, her tears soaking into Phineas' shirt as he wrapped his arms around her. He couldn't help but feel helpless and terrible, his only action being to hold her and comfort her as best he could. A part of him enjoyed holding her though, it brought a little bit of light into this overly dark world; so the two sat together, two best friends comforting each other after witnessing some of the horrors of war.

Adrian and the rest of the group continued to watch in silence, sweat beginning to form at the bottom of Adrian's back as he gazed on. Isabella and Phineas had left shortly after the massacre came on screen; he assumed Phineas had gone to comfort her. The rest were enthralled, like watching a really good, but horrible movie, something you did not want to watch but had to see. Eventually, Phineas and Isabella quietly re-entered the room and took their seats. The group continued to watch with silence and the upmost respect.

"Alpha Two, this Alpha Three. Anything on your end?" Captain Flynn whispered over his microphone, the hairs on the back of his neck standing straight up in the eerie silence.

"Negative dude, this place is dead. Maybe command got the coordinates mixed up." Mike replied over the comm channel.

"Now what are the odds of that?" Johnson added sarcastically.

"Pretty damn high if you ask me." Dan responded.

"Keep quiet! We don't know what's out there!" Flynn whispered sharply, his words crushing the conversation, "O.W.C.A agents spotted the target here, so we keep moving forward." Ten long minutes of silence followed as the Marines crept forward, scanning the area with their rifles up. Slowly but surely, Marines from other squads joined the group.

"Hey, Richie, ten bucks says I score a hit faster than you." Miller finally broke the silence.

"You're on man; I've been practicing on the range." Richie replied playfully, hoisting up his machine gun.

"God help us all," another Marine jabbed in.

"We all know you can't hit the broadside of a bar, that's why they give you the big gun, to make you feel better 'bout yourself." Milled jabbed at Richie as the Marines continued the banter in an attempt to lighten their spirits.

"Shhhh!" Flynn hushed through gritted teeth and all the Marines got the message, their momentary drop in security ending as silence flooded the area yet again, the Marines raising their rifles. Unfortunately for them, it was too late. As Captain Flynn began to turn the corner, the building next to him exploded.

Chapter Five: Welcome to the War

The first few minutes after the explosion went by in a blur. Captain Flynn's ears ringing as he struggled off of the ground, hoisting his rifle up as he stumbled to the nearest cover. It wasn't the first time he'd ben in an explosion and it certainly wasn't the worst. As his hearing returned he was met by an all too familiar sound; gunfire.

"AMBUSH!" Richie screamed at the top of his, "Got to cover!" Marines scrambled to the deck and to the nearest cover, quickly calling out their targets.

"Contacts Right, Multiple Tangos in the Building, twelve o'clock. Fifty meters!" one Marine yelled, the others quickly repeating it as the Marines reorganized themselves. They all knew what needed to be done, to find the large part of the ambush and attack. Quickly they began to return fire. Captain Flynn, instinctively raising his rifle, fires a few rounds into the nearby building, his bullets striking the chest of one of the enemy.

"Got a group of them to the left!" Dan yelled, slapping another magazine into his rifle as he slapped the bolt forward.

"The bastards are everywhere!" another Marine added, rapidly firing his rifle from the prone position. Flynn proceeded forward, taking cover behind a car, analyzing the situation. It was then that he realized that enemy opposition was most heavily concentrated in the building on the right. Movement out of the corner of his eye catches his attention, as he watches a young Marine run out in front.

"WA-" Captain Flynn began, holding his arm out to get the Marine but ducking back as he saw the young man get cut down before he could finish the sentence. The young Marine laying staring at him, a blank look on his face as crimson began to stain the ground, his eyes screaming for help.

"Cover me!" Flynn roared as he sprinted out, bullets whizzing through the air around him, impacting the ground sending dirt into his eyes. It didn't matter, nothing on God's Earth would keep him from that Marine. Holding his rifle in his left hand, he grabs the Marine with his right hand, dragging him back to the car.

"CORPSMAN!" Flynn roared over his shoulder as he secured the young man behind the car before laying down fire on the enemy building. Glancing over, Flynn noticed that, behind a destroy van, two children no older than twelve picking up their father's guns, a common occurrence in this part of the world. They didn't even get a shot off before being cut down, whether it was the Marines fire or the Insurgency, would never be known.

"All right listen up! Dan, Johnson, Richie, I want you to lay down suppressing fire on that building!" Flynn screamed out as his men began to move into position, the resounding noise of Richie's machine gun over-taking the air as he began to fire mercilessly at the building, "Zach, you, me, and Greg are gonna go around the building to the right!"

Zach gazed over in disbelief. It was his first foray into combat and he just couldn't believe how _loud_ it was. His Drill Instructors certainly weren't lying and despite all the things he had told his friends, he wasn't the Big Bad Marine his family friends believed him to be. Fact of the matter was, he was scared and watching the Captain go down in the explosion didn't help. Everything afterwards was simply a blur, he was sure he emptied a clip or two at the enemy, maybe called out a few shots, but certainly he hadn't hit anything yet. Then he just moved behind some rubble, he just wanted to get home. He watched in awe when Captain Flynn, disregarding his own life, ran out to save his downed brother. He had to respect that but he truly believed he wasn't the right man to back him up during the flanking maneuver.

"Ready…MOVE!" Captain Flynn yelled, as Zach and Greg began to sprint towards the building. The overwhelming noise of the fire disorienting Zach as he focuses on one thing: his Captain in front of him. The shells whizzing past him, the screaming, the sound of his heart in his ears, all present as Zach followed the man in front of him.

Suppressing fire!" Staff Sergeant Richie roared, hoisting his machine gun and supporting it on the rubble in front of him as squeezed the trigger; reminding himself to fire in bursts as he and his team begin to unload on the building. God, he loved his holographic sight, when shit hits the fan, it ensured every one of his shots was lethal. He smirked to himself as he continued to fight for the man next to him. Sure he got scared, they all got the jitters sometime, but you do it for the man next to you. Every time he pulled the trigger, every time he killed a man, it was for his brother on the left and his right. His grizzled grin intensified, he had already tapped three tangos and was ready for more.

"Target, left side. Behind the barricade!" Peterson points out with his left hand before placing it back on his rifle, his eyes squinting as he aims down the sights, squeezing off rounds. Richie notices him, a man in his twenties with an assault rifle, and quickly mows him down.

"How long is this gonna take?!" a frantic Marine yells as his head hits the deck, the enemy machine guns beginning to rake the line again.

"Man down! We need a fucking Corpsman!" another one screams, trying desperately to resuscitate his friend lying in a pool of blood, "Come on, Max, I need you to breathe for me…"

"Just keep up the fire guys," Richie replied, sliding his bolt back before unleashing another hail of bullets to the bullet, a look of pure anger on his face, "Show these motherfuckers whose boss"

"Damn it Max! You're not dying like this, you're gonna go home and see your wife and kids and have a barbeque and do all fucking things families do but you NEED TO BREATHE," the other Marine screams through tears, gripping the collar of his dead friend. War is hell, Richie thinks to himself, as he resumes firing.

Gunnery Sergeant Greg had been with Flynn from the beginning, they had both gone to boot camp together. When Flynn became an officer, Greg did everything he could to get transferred. It hadn't always been rainbows and picnics, but he and Flynn got the job down. Looking over Zach, he couldn't help but notice the fear present in his eyes. He was just a kid, fresh out of high school, hell all of them were kids nowadays. Guys like him and Flynn were the Old Breed, and Flynn was the closest thing Greg had to a best friends. Greg was the only person Flynn ever told of the tragic incident that turned his life upside down. Greg couldn't complain, Flynn was one bad ass Marine.

"All right, this is the building," Flynn muttered without faltering to catch his breath.

"I see two machine guns in the window, maybe some snipers on the roof," Greg muttered under his breath, tightening his grip on his rifle. Zach took the time to crouch down and regain himself.

"Not the worst we've been through," Flynn muttered as he grabbed a new magazine, quickly sliding it in the replace the one he dropped, "Remember that fucked up shit in Egypt?"

"Don't remind me…" he replied, the mere mention of Egypt sending shivers down his spine as he looked down at Zach, "You ready kid?". Zach, still catching his breath, merely looked up, giving a thumbs-up.

"All right, left side door breach, then we just breach and clear until the building is secure." Flynn added as he approached the door, levying his rifle.

"Wait, shouldn't we get some more troops first?" Zach asked as he followed the two older Marines towards the door.

"Too risky with those machine guns, it's up to us," Greg muttered harshly as he approached the door.

"Oohrah," Flynn muttered in response as the three men approached the door, Greg taking positing to the right looking at Flynn, waiting for the word. Zach, crouched behind the group, covering the street, while Flynn stood to the left of the door, ready to be the first one in. A nod of the head is all that is necessary as Greg kicks in the door, Flynn quickly charging through. The sound of rapid gunfire quickly subsides as Greg enters behind Flynn, noticing that Flynn has already eliminated four tangos. The rest of this building would be clear silently.

Zach opens a door, throwing a flashbang through and shooting any targets he sees as Greg moves down the hallway to the next door. In an almost sickening repeat of firepower, they continue this process; approach the door, kick it in, flashbang, engage hostiles, move on. Greg moves up to the last door before the stairs, kicking it in, he quickly notices two hostiles with assault rifles. On instinct he puts two rounds into each of them, their bodies hitting the ground hard as their rifle clatter against the ground. As he is about to walk away, he hears footsteps and spins around; A woman coming out of the corner, approaching the weapon on the floor.

"Don't you fucking do it…" Greg curses under his breath, pointing his rifle at the young woman's chest. It wasn't long before her hand touched the rifle and he put two rounds through her chest.

"First floor clear," Zach's voice whispered over the comm, as Greg exits the room, noticing Captain Flynn cautiously moving up the stairs. Suddenly, Flynn fires a few more rounds, the sound of bodies hitting the floor following thereafter. The sick game continued; approach the door, kick it in, flashban, engage hostiles, move one. From one grueling floor to the next, time seeming to drag on as they continued, the adrenaline pumping through their bloodstreams as sweat soaked through their uniforms.

"This last one is mine," Greg muttered as they approached the last room before the eagle's nest, kicking in the door, he fired three rounds into two individuals who fall to the ground. Turning to walk away, he felt a piercing pain in his chest. Suddenly, all the strength seemed to vanish from him as he collapsed, hitting the ground hard. The warm metallic taste of blood beginning to fill his mouth as darkness closes in on his eyes. It had all happened so suddenly, it appears one of the men wasn't quite dead and had pulled a pistol on him. The fact didn't surprise him; this day had long been coming. Out of nowhere he feels a hand on his shoulder, flipping him around so he lay on his back, the light of the sun blinding him. Each passing second, he can feel a little more of his strength ebbing from his wound, each breath becoming harder. The next breath is met with a sharp pain as he begins to cough blood. He knew Flynn was trying to help him but both Marines knew, that he was a dead.

"Watch your six, Devil Dog," he whispered, pulling Flynn in close, a grizzled smile filling his ages face, as everything around him turned to black.

Flynn stood hovering over his dead friend, closing Greg's eyelids. It enraged him that of all the ways for that man to go, he was shot in the back by a man with just enough life left to lift a gun. Shifting through the dead Marine's clothing, he feels the familiar metallic string around Greg's neck, ripping off one of his dog tags and sliding it in his chest pocket. He wished he could say he felt more pain at the loss of his best friend, but he didn't. It was just another casualty in a war with an ever increasing casualty list. The loss of each Marine enraged him but never hurt him. Greg knew this; Greg wouldn't have wanted him to feel pain. He knew after the accident that Flynn learned not to love. Still, it struck Phineas that Greg had chosen to call him his best friend, not a light title. Now was not the time to reflect on this, however, there was a job to do.

"Alpha Three, this is Alpha Two," Mikes enthusiastic voice spurs over the comm. Flynn quickly kicks in the door, behind which the enemy machine gunners lay hidden, this time throwing a fragmentation grenade instead. The screaming of the enemy soldiers end abruptly with explosion of the grenade as Flynn presses his comm.

"This is Alpha Three, what's up?" Flynn responded, looking over at Zach who was informing Richie that the building has been secure.

"I've got us some tank support and one helicopter as we move up the road, how copy?" Mike added, pride in himself shining through the radio. Flynn scratched his head in disbelief. They had been told the lines had been pushed back and that tank and air support would be unavailable for the next week.

"How'd you manage that one?" Flynn asked, and even though it was partially a joke, Flynn continued in the same grizzled tone. Mike let out a hearty laugh through microphone.

"Well wouldn't you like to know," Mike replied teasingly, "But I never kiss and tell, I'm just that good!" Alpha Two Out."

"Watch your six, Devil Dog," Flynn muttered over the microphone, after a few moments of silence, his thoughts returning to that of his fallen comrade. Another day on the frontlines of the Third Great War…


End file.
